Kukla's Korner Hockey

“The only thing I can guarantee is I’m going to get shots on the net,” Schneider said. “I think the key is going to be to really play a simple game, play within the system. For the most part, especially on the power play, when I’m out there, I’m shooting. That’s not going to change, no matter where I am.”

The plan is for Schneider to team with Francois Beauchemin at even strength.

“There’s an adjustment there, without a doubt,” Schneider said. “I told him today, ‘Listen, just play your game.’ I’m probably going to be more conservative than I usually am. I’ll read off him.”

North American minor-pro hockey leagues and other international circuits are teeming with swift and shifty skaters of diminutive stature. Their size, unfortunately, makes them decided underdogs to reach the pinnacle of the National Hockey League. In time, the cold reality of the ice game sets in and many pack their gear and head home to resume the next stage of their lives.

Los Angeles Kings’ winger Mike Cammalleri, despite being only 5’ 9” and weighing 180, was not to be deterred by mere measurements. The son of a Jewish mother, Adele Gelbard, drafted in 2001 in the second round (49th overall), just kept on producing regardless of the level at which he played.

continued… (*includes a look at numerous accomplished Jewish players in the NHL)

Budd Lynch feels like he’s been the kid peeking through the knothole in the outfield fence watching some of the greatest events and people of the past seven decades unfold.

In his biography, My Life, From Normandy to Hockeytown, Lynch tells a tale that starts with his humble beginnings in Windsor and makes a stop on the beaches of Normandy before touching on his work with bandleader Glenn Miller, broadcaster Mel Allen along with his own broadcasting career with the Detroit Red Wings that earned him induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1985.

“Nothing is happening with him on the ice,” Carbonneau explained. “We felt like we needed to win the game, so I went with the guys I thought could help us do that. I was trying to switch some lines and trying to create something. I was looking for a spark.”

Ryder, who has been the Canadiens’ top goal-scorer in each of the past two seasons with 30, played 11:35 Tuesday night….

“I don’t think it’s time to panic,” said Ryder, who had four goals at this point last season.

“There haven’t been too many games when our line hasn’t created some chances and there are other top scorers who have scored only three or four goals.”

...That’s a card the Oilers are going to have to play now as they’ve lost third-year rearguard Matt Greene to a broken left ankle that will keep him out of the line-up as long as three months.

Greene, injured in the second period of a 2-1 loss to Detroit Tuesday, will need surgery. He joins Sheldon Souray, out since Oct. 10 with a sprained left shoulder, and Joni Pitkanen, out another month after surgery to repair damaged knee cartilage, on the shelf….

“These (comments) could come back to haunt me and I don’t normally throw these out there, but I’m not all that worried about the injuries on the back end,” MacTavish said.

“From what I’ve seen, with (who) we have healthy, we’re going to be able to overcome it.”

Maurice didn’t say very much to his team Wednesday. The punishing skating drills spoke for themselves.

“On a day like today where it’s a very physically demanding day for the players, there’s not a lot of talking,” he said. “That’s not an easy day for the fittest of athletes so you don’t try to do four or five things all at the same time.

“Today was to get our legs burning and get a conditioning skate in.”

The second-year coach has preached conditioning since taking over the Leafs job but this seemed to be taking that message to another level.

The Shinny-ing
I Know What You Did During The Last Collective Bargaining Agreement
Scammers 3: Bruce McNall, John Spano and Sanjay Kumar
Night Of The Living Dead: Air Canada Centre Edition
House Of Whacks
The Blair Betts Project
The Exercisist: Rod Brind’Amour

Nashville Predators owner Craig Leipold has extended today’s deadline for a sale of the hockey team.

A mostly-local investors group had been trying to close the deal by today. Leipold met with Mayor Karl Dean today and later announced he would extend the deadline.

“Based on the progress being made, I am convinced all parties will benefit from extra time to complete this transaction so we will extend the purchase agreement,” Leipold said in a statement, “with a goal of completing the sale as soon as possible.”